Skip to main content

ARTBA elects new chairman

David S Zachry, chief executive officer of Texas-based Zachry Corporation, has been elected 2015-2016 chairman by the members of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). Zachry’s career in the transportation construction industry spans nearly 30 years. In 1996, he was named president of the company’s Civil Group. In August 2004, he assumed the responsibilities of president and chief operating officer of Zachry Construction Corporation. And in January 2008, he was named president and
October 5, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
David S Zachry, chief executive officer of Texas-based Zachry Corporation, has been elected 2015-2016 chairman by the members of the 920 American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). Zachry’s career in the transportation construction industry spans nearly 30 years. In 1996, he was named president of the company’s Civil Group. In August 2004, he assumed the responsibilities of president and chief operating officer of Zachry Construction Corporation. And in January 2008, he was named president and CEO of Zachry Corporation.
 
He is the third generation Zachry in the company founded by his grandfather, HB Zachry, in 1924. Today, the San Antonio-based firm builds technically-unique, large-scale projects, including highways and bridges.

Zachry’s ARTBA volunteer leadership positions include serving as senior vice chairman, first vice chairman and vice chairman at-large. He is the current chair of the steering committee of the Construction Industry Ethics & Compliance Initiative. Zachry also serves on the Texas A&M Civil Engineering Advisory Council, and on the boards of the 5136 Southwest Research Institute and the 3537 Associated General Contractors of America.
 
Zachry outlined several key goals for the year ahead as ARTBA chairman. Most importantly, he said, ARTBA will remain focused on its mission of ensuring a long-term Highway Trust Fund fix and congressional approval of a multi-year bill that boosts federal surface transportation investment.

Zachry also said the association would be expanding the scope of its training initiatives with development of new accredited, national road and bridge safety certification programs. He plans to implement the recommendations in the report put forward in Philadelphia by the ARTBA Young Executive Leadership Task Force. Zachry stressed the importance of ARTBA’s ongoing efforts to support the professional development of women in the industry, and to recruit more women and students to consider transportation construction careers. He will also initiate a new wave of outreach to expand ARTBA’s membership, build its grassroots and get members more involved.

Related Content

  • Alliance for safe US roadway builds
    April 23, 2012
    A leading US highway construction association has renewed its pledge to work with the federal government to reduce deaths and injuries in roadway construction zones. The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) said the ‘Work Zone Safety Alliance’ will develop and distribute education material over the next two years aimed at preventing worker injuries and deaths from construction vehicle runovers and backovers. The education drive will also focus on increased outreach to non-English-spe
  • ARTBA warns of shortfall in funding for US highways
    February 14, 2014
    According to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), fixing the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) without generating any new revenue will be highly challenging. ARTBA president Pete Ruane told a Senate panel that such a move would require the equivalent of the US Congress passing and the president signing a 2013-level Murray-Ryan budget deal every year. And this would be sufficient just to maintain current highway and transit programme investment levels. According to a new Congressional Bud
  • ARTBA presents transport safety awards
    October 1, 2015
    The American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF) has presented awards to five separate industry initiatives. These were highlighted for commitment to promoting safety during the association’s 17th annual Roadway Work Zone Safety Awareness Awards held recently at a luncheon during ARTBA’s National Convention in Philadelphia. The competition recognises outstanding programmes, campaigns and technologies aimed at helping reduce roadway work zone a
  • ARTBA announces winners of its student video contest
    September 19, 2012
    The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has announced the winners of its annual student video contest. A group of 18 high school students from North Carolina and three graduate and post-graduate students from New England were named winners. Sponsored by ARTBA’s Research and Education Division (RED), the contest challenges grade school and post-secondary students to develop a brief video that explores issues relating to America’s transportation network. Students were asked to addres